“She remains combative and true to herself”, testify her parents

The 26-year-old physiotherapist has been incarcerated in Senegal since November 17 for conspiracy against the State, after participating in a peaceful rally in support of Ousmane Sonko, Macky Sall’s main opponent.

“It’s starting to take too long. It’s really stressful”, confides Jean-Yves Fay, the father of Coline Fay, the young Isère resident incarcerated in Senegal since November 17. Both of his parents testified on France Bleu Isère on Saturday December 16, while a gathering is planned for the afternoon in Grenoble, place Félix Poulat.

26-year-old physiotherapist Coline Fay demonstrated in front of the Supreme Court in Dakar during a peaceful rally in support of Ousmane Sonko, the main political opponent of the current Senegalese president, Macky Sall. She was arrested after the demonstration. Her mother, Véronique Murat, gave news of her daughter: “Coline tells us that she is doing well, that she is adapting to her situation in prison. She is with 35 other inmates, who are also political prisoners. They share a mattress for two, but she gets along well with her fellow inmates. She remains combative and true to herself.”

A request for release filed

The young woman had started a hunger strike, which was interrupted on December 4 after 9 days but her state of health is good: “she is under medical care, she goes to the infirmary every day following her hunger strike. We were very worried at that time, but it was the only way for her to protest against her arrest which she lives as a profound injustice”.

Her father, Jean-Yves Fay, also detailed on France Bleu Isère, the legal aspect of the case, Coline Fay is accused, among other things, of criminal association in connection with a terrorist enterprise, an act likely to compromise the state security, complicity in action against state authority. A request for release was filed by his lawyer on site. But above all, “we hope that the very serious and unfounded charges, which could go as far as a life sentence…, I can’t even say a word, it’s so hard… that these charges will be lifted”.

On a psychological level, “It’s starting to take too long. We’re in the unknown. It’s really stressful”, he added. If he confirms the support of the consulate on site, “on the other hand, we don’t really have any news from the government”.